INDEPENDENCE –– Allison White and Taylor Bryant poured in 28 first-half points as Galax raced out to a huge early lead and handled Grayson County 65-36 in a Mountain Empire District girls’ game Friday.

Galax (16-3 overall, 8-0 district) clinched at least a tie for the MED regular season championship, which it can lock up this week with a win over either Bland County or Narrows.

INDEPENDENCE –– Playing an average of a game every two days for a month will take its toll on a team’s legs. Galax’s had just enough spring in them to keep a step ahead of the rest of the district.

In danger of falling into a three-way tie for the Mountain Empire District lead, the Maroon Tide made a two-point lead stand up through two late Grayson County possessions and escaped with a 63-61 thriller Friday night.

RICHMOND — The House of Delegates passed legislation Feb. 1 to repeal Virginia’s one-per-month limit on handgun purchases, a law that has been on the books for nearly two decades.
House Bill 940 passed by a vote of 66-32 following a brief floor debate in which an opponent of the bill argued that Virginia would again become a haven for gun runners if it allows unlimited handgun purchases.